Corn-planter



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. MUSSETTER: Y

CORN PLANTER.

No. 392,928. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

I WITNESS S, I

' flttorney.

N. PETERS, Photo-Lithographer. WiiNngion, 0.0,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. MUSSETTER.

I GORN PLANTER.

No. 392,928. Patented Nov. 18, 1888.

' WITNESSES I IJVVEJVTOR .7292 Z i z flit/forma 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. A. MUSSETTE R.

GORN PLANTER.

No. 882,928. Patented Nov. 18, 1888.

WITJVE SE5;

u PETERS, Photo-Lithograph", Wlshingion. u c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 4.

' J. A. MUSSETTER.

CORN PLANTER.

No. 392,928. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

WITNESSES I 8 W IJVVEJVTORS a d/4:2" %J5%77 flttorney,

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JOSEPH A. MUSSETTER, OF PAINTERSVILLE, OHIO.

CORN-PLAN'TER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,928, dated November13, 1888.

Application filed December 3, 1887. Serial No. 256,842. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. MUssETTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paintersville, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oorn Planters, ofwhich the following is aspecification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in corn-planters.

The objects which I have in view are, first, to avoid the use of thepresent well-known check-row wire and the attachments of the planterwhich co-operate therewith; second, to provide for adjusting the runnersat different depths, so as to plant the corn at varying depths in theground to suit the particular kind of soil at hand; third, to providemechanism adapted to receive motion fromthesup porting-wheels andtransmit motion to the seed-dropping mechanism at proper intervals oftime to secure the necessary distance between the hills; fourth, toprovide hoes instead of the usual coverers and elevate the hoesautomatically at proper intervals of time to leave an accumulation ofsoil over the depos ited seed; fifth, to keep the supporting-wheelsclear of accu mulations, so as tonot increase their diameter, wherebythe motion received through them to actuate the seed-dropping mechanismactuates it at regular and predetermined intervals, and, sixth, toprovide a cam for actuating the seed-dropping mechanism intermittentlyand in proper time with respect to the forward travel of the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts,

.Figurel represents a plan view of my improved machine; Fig. 2, asideelevation of the same with one of the supportingwheels removed; Fig. 3,a detail view of a portion of the hoe-actuating mechanism; Fig. 4, adetail view of the cam for actuating the seed-dropping mechanism; Fig.5, an enlarged plan view of one of the seed-hoppers and its mechanism;Fig. 6, an elevation of a hopper, a boot, and the several adjacentdevices; Fig. 7, a sectional view of the auxiliary shaft, showing thecam for actuating the seed-dropping mechanism in elevation; Fig. 8, adetailview of said cam similar to Fig. 4, but showing the cam proper inthe reverse position; Fig. 9, another detail view of the cam, showingthe cam-block in dotted lines in a position intermediate to those shownin Figs. 4 and 8; Fig. 10, a detail view of the auxiliary shaft andfoot-reel, and Fig. 11. an elevation of the front end ofthe machine withthe supporting-wheels and other parts removed.-

The letter A designates the main frame of the planter, which consists,preferably, of bars of wrought-iron,though it maybe made ofwood or othersuitable material. This frame is mounted upon an axle or shaft, B,supported by the wheels 0, one of which is connected rigidly with theshaft, so as to revolve it. The periphery of the supporting-wheels O isprovided with a flat groove, D, and with two flat beads, E, thus givingeach wheel two diameters at the periphery. The larger diameter, composedof the flat beads, forms the tread which runs upon the ground, while thecoutracted portion D follows the line of the deposit of the corn andavoids unduly packing the earth over the corn.

To a suitable point of the frame adjustable scrapers F are attached, theconstruction of which enables them to keep the periphery of the wheelsclear of accumulations, (so as to not increase their diameter,) andhence cause them to revolve the same number of times over agiven lengthof ground. A fixed clutch, G, is secured to the axle B, and agear-wheel, H, is slidingly mounted on the axle and provided with aclutch-surface, I, which engages the clutch-surfaceG. The gear-wheel isadjusted in and out of contact with the clutch G by a hand-lever, J, ofany approved construction, and having the usual detent, K, adapted tolock with a bar, L. A spring, M, tends so to throw the lever as to keepthe clutches G and I normally in engagement. An auxiliary shaft, N, ismounted in the frame and provided with apinion, O, and twotripping-arms, P, which serve to rock pitmen Q, pivoted at It andconnected at one end with rock-shafts S. These rock-shafts are connectedwith hoes T, the latter being held against the soil by the pivoted linksU. Thus it will be observed that the hoes are automatically elevated atintervals as the tripping'arms P come upward and pass from under theadjacent ends of-the pivoted pitman Q. By this means the hoes accumulatemore or less soil before them at the same time that they cover thefurrows made by the runners. The action of the hoes is so timed thatthey rise just before reaching the place where the corn is deposited,leaving a hill over each deposit, and then drop down and recommeneecovering the furrow and aecumulating the soil. The supporting-wheelspass over the hills thus formed; but by reason of their contracteddiameter at D a hill or prominence is left to mark the place of plantingthe corn. The shaft N is also provided with a foot-reel, V, and by whichthe shaft is rotated when the clutch I is out of engagement with theclutch G, so as to properly set the tripping-arms 1? and the cam whichactuates the seed-dropping mechanism with respect to the aXleB, so as toform the hills and drop the corn at the proper place as compared to thelast'hills made when the machine was going in the opposite direction.This is important,

- because it might so happen in turning the maproper point to bring thetripping-arms I against the lovers Q, and to cause the cam to actuatethe seed mechanism and make the first return drop and form the firstreturn hill opposite to the last drop and hill.

The letter WV refers to a pivoted pitman, one end of which is engagedbya cam, to be presently described, and operated intermittently in onedirection and then the other, with a sufficient rest between the motionsto allow the machine to proceed the distance at which the drops areplaced. This pitman is bifurcated at one end and embraces a verticalrod, X, secured to the dropping-slide Y and braced by the yoke Z. Thereis nothing peculiar in the construction of the slide of the hoppers orboxes, with the exception that the pawls a, by which the disks arerotated, are rigidly secured to the slide and are yielding like springs.By this construction they normally tendtoward the disk and skip past theteeth or shoulders on the periphery thereof. They are cheaper than thepivoted pawls and are more certain in their aetion,becaus e they, asabove mentioned, of themselves normally tend toward the disks.

The cam already referred to consists of a pivoted block, Z1, curved atone end, substantially as seen in Figs. 1, 4t, and 8, so as toreadilyengage the side of the projection or pin 0, depending from the pitman W,as the cam comes up past it in its revolution with the shaft N. It isnecessary, however, that the block b, which presents the curved surfaceat the opposite sides of the pin 0, should be arranged so as to move thepitman W in first one direction and then the other, allowing the pitmanin the interim to remain in the position to which it is last moved. Toeffect this movement of the block b, I mount it upon a shaft, (1, havinghearings in a collar, 0, or other suitable device secured to theshaft-N. Also rigidly secured to the shaft cl is a trip-block, f, whosesides are beveled inwardly at the proper angle and depth to allow thetrip-block to swing round the stationary projection which stands in thepath of the trip-block when the cam is in operative position, assuggested in Fig. 1. This projection in the present instance consists ofa stud, 9, formed on the collar h, mounted on the shaft N, and securedagainst rotation by connection or contact with a bar, i, of the frame ofthe machine. The collar is cut away at either side of the stud to form arecess, in which the corners of the trip-block f play as it ro-- Asshown in Fig. 4, the cam ispass- In the bootj is pivoted a cut-off, 7c,asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and aslide, Y, is provided with aportion, 7, notched to engage with the upper end of the cut-off andtilted from side to side. By this means the corn in being planted dropsfrom the lower end of the boot, where it is held by the cut-off. Theadvantage of this arrangement is that the corn does not have to drop theentire distance from the box to the ground, but only from where it iscaught in the boot to the ground, this being but a short distance, andhence the corn is deposited almost immediately upon the actuation of theslide and before the machine has had time to advance much fartherforward. Of course there is always a hill ahead in each boot.

I will now refer to the raising and lowering of the runners.

The letter at designates the runners, which consist of a curved sharpplate provided near the rear end with a wing or mold-board, n, at eitherside. The moldboard is narrowed near the lower end, as at 0, so as notto make too wide a furro w,while the wider portion spreads out and runsalong the surface of theground and smooths it off for thesupporting-wheels which follow. The runner is shown up in Fig. 2; butwhen operating as just described is let down the proper distance. To theforward end of the frame I attach brackets p, between the bars q ofwhich the upper portions, 1', of the runners are fitted, so as to movein a vertical direction. dered at s, at either side of the bars q, toprevent the runner from. moving longitudinally. Bars t are pivoted tothe frame and slidingly connected attheir forward ends to stoutbails Theportion 1 is shoulu, which stand above the general frame of themachine,and at their ends are connected with the runners and with astout horizontal bar, '0, extending from runner to runner. To theforward part of the frame is pivoted a stout yoke, w, in which ismounted a transverse rod, y, the ends of which project through slots inthe pivoted bars 25'. The rear end of this yoke is provided with arack-bar actuated in the manner presently to be described. The yoke 10is also slidingly connected with the bails u at a. Therefore when theyoke is operated up and down it will be seen that the bails a are movedin a perpendicular direction, because they are lifted at the forwardpoint of the connection between them and the barst and at the rear pointof connection between them and the said yoke. The barst are slottedandthe bails a notched, as seen in Fig. 2, to accommodate the transverserod 3/. A gearwheel, b, carried by a crank-shaft, c,mounted in thebearings secured to one of the seatstandards 0, engages with the rack ofthe yoke 20, and when actuated by the cranks f elevates and lowers theyoke, so as to elevate and lower the runners. The shaft 0' carries aratchet and paw], g and h, one at either side, and disposed in oppositedirections, so as to lock the shaft of. To the rear cross-beam of theframe I design to attach the usual marker, which I use in connectionwith this machine for the usual purposes of a marker.

- to lift the cover.

It will be observed that by the use of my improved machine the usualeheck-row wire is avoided,together with the mechanism which usuallyco-operates with it; that the diameter of the supporting-wheels ispreserved, so that they will not rotate more times in going across thefield at one period than at another; that I leave hills in the field toindicate where the corn has been dropped in the preceding passage acrossthe field; that I can adjust the depth of the runners to agree with thecharacter of the soil; that the dropping mechanism is actuatedintermittently, and that the power required to actuate the movingmechanism is received from the forward movement of the machine. I do notwish, therefore, to be understood as limiting myself to the particulardetails of construction shown anddescribed, as they may be largelyvaried without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a corn-planter, thecombination, with the main frame, the supporting-wheels, and their axle,of an auxiliary shaft geared to the axle, and a cam on said shaft,composed of a rotating co1lar,a cam-block rotatably mounted thereon, ablock secured to its shaft, and a fixed collar in the path of saidblock,whereby the cam-block revolves on its own axis during therevolution of the auxiliary shaft and presents its cam-surfaces to theopposite sides.

2. The combination, with a rotating shaft and a collar carried thereby,of a cam-block rotatably mounted in the collar, and a block connectedwith the canrblock, and a fixed collar or projection located in the pathof said block, whereby it is engaged in the rotation of the shaft andthe cam-block caused to rotate on its own axis.

3. The combination, with a rotating shaft and a collar fitted thereon,of a cam-block the cam-surface of which is curved, a shaft for saidcam-block mounted in said collar, and a block mounted on said shaft andhaving its sides converged toward the center, and a fixed collarsupported on the rotating shaft and recessed in one edge to leave theprojecting point for engagement with the converged sides of the saidblock.

4:. In a corn-planter, the combination, with the supporting wheels, theaxle, and a gear clutched thereon, of an auxiliary shaft and camthereon, a pinion which meshes with said gear, and one or more reel-armsto adjust the cam with respect to the said gear before clutching it withthe axle, so as to start the cam at the proper time for actuating theseeddropping mechanism.

5. In a corn-planter, the combination, with the main frame and verticalhanging brackets secured thereto, of runners movably fitted to saidbrackets and guided by them in a vertical direction, a lever to raiseand lower the runners, and intermediate devices between said lever andrunners connected to the forward and rear ends of the runners,wherebythe runners are bodily moved in a vertical direction by said lever. andsaid intermediate devices so connected.

6. In a corn-planter, the combination, with the main frame havingvertical hanging brackets, of runners connected together by a transversebar and having an upper horizontal portion fitted in said hangers, of abail connected to each runner, a pivoted bar connected to each bail, anda pivoted yoke-lever having a transverse rod engaging with the saidpivoted bars,a rack carried by said levcr,a gear meshing therewith, andsuitable locking pawls and ratchets.

7. In a corlrplanter, the combination, with the main frame, thesupporting wheels and axle, an auxiliary shaft having a cam and gearedto the axle, and a pitman operated by said cam, of vertical ways orbrackets and runners vertically adjustable therein, a lever andintermediate devices to raise and lower the runners and said droppingmechanism mounted upon said runners, a slide for said mechanism, and avertical rod extending from the slide, with which said pitman slidinglyengages, whereby the said dropping mechanism is operated irrespective ofits altitude with respect to the pitman.

8. In a corn-planter, the combination, with lIO the main frame andvertical hanging brackets secured thereto, of runners movably fitted tosaid slides and guided by them in a vertical direction, seed-droppingmechanism mounted upon the rear ends of said runners and movabletherewith, a lever to raise and lower the runners and said mechanism,andintermediate devices between said lever and runners concrank-arm, anauxiliary shaft having a trip ping-arm which engages said pitman andwhich receives motion from the supportingwheels.

10. In a corn-planter, the combination,with the runners and thesupporting-Wheels, each having a peripheral groove, of rock-shafts, hoessuspended from them between the runners and wheels, and actuatingmechanism for said shaft, consisting of an auxiliary shaft operated bysaid wheels, and pitnien actuated at one end by said auxiliary shaft andconnected to the rock-shafts at the other end to elevate the hoes justbefore they reach the deposited grain and drop them just after thepassing of said grain, whereby hills of earth are left in the field todesignate 'the place of the deposit of the grain and whereby the earththrough the grooved wheel is properly packed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. MUSSETTER.

\Vitnesses:

J os. W. HEBBLE, JAMES M. STEWART.

